Snowmobiler Caleb Moore died Thursday after suffering injuries after a crash during the X games last week.
The 25-year-old started snowmobiling four years ago after competing on all-terrain vehicles since he was a child.
A spokeswoman for the Moore family announced the death that occurred Thursday morning at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo. Moore's family declined to comment any further on the details surrounding his injuries.
Moore's death marks the first mortality to occur during the Winter X Games. This was the 17th edition of the event that took place in Aspen last week.
"We are deeply saddened by Caleb Moore's passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, Wade and Michelle, his brother, Colten, and the entire Moore family," ESPN said in a statement following the snowmobiler's death. "He will be remembered for his natural passion for life and his deep love for his family and friends, and he will always be an inspiration to everyone he touched in the action sports community."
ESPN also said that they will launch an investigation into the snowmobiling discipline in the wake of Moore's death and make any adjustments necessary to secure safety for future competitors.
"Still, when the world's best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain," the statement said. "Caleb was a four-time X Games medalist attempting a move he has landed several times previously."
Moore was taken off the freestyle snowmobile final after suffering a concussion on Jan. 24 at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen.
The snowmobiler failed to completely rotate his sled and did not get far enough down the landing ramp, knocking Moore of his snowmobile. The skis on the sled landed on Moore as he slid down the ramp and was knocked unconscious.
"It's definitely a scary thing for a sport like ours," snowmobiler and X Games competitor Levi LaVallee said on Tuesday. "The only thing we can do is we can look at that and learn from it and look at how we can try to prevent that."
Video of Crash (Viewer Discretion Advised)
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